Homer's Odyssey and the Near East
Homer's Odyssey and the Near East

Author: Bruce Louden

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-01-06

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 1139494902

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The Odyssey's larger plot is composed of a number of distinct genres of myth, all of which are extant in various Near Eastern cultures (Mesopotamian, West Semitic, and Egyptian). Unexpectedly, the Near Eastern culture with which the Odyssey has the most parallels is the Old Testament. Consideration of how much of the Odyssey focuses on non-heroic episodes - hosts receiving guests, a king disguised as a beggar, recognition scenes between long-separated family members - reaffirms the Odyssey's parallels with the Bible. In particular the book argues that the Odyssey is in a dialogic relationship with Genesis, which features the same three types of myth that comprise the majority of the Odyssey: theoxeny, romance (Joseph in Egypt), and Argonautic myth (Jacob winning Rachel from Laban). The Odyssey also offers intriguing parallels to the Book of Jonah, and Odysseus' treatment by the suitors offers close parallels to the Gospels' depiction of Christ in Jerusalem.

The Cambridge Guide to Homer
The Cambridge Guide to Homer

Author: Corinne Ondine Pache

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-03-05

Total Pages: 974

ISBN-13: 1108663621

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From its ancient incarnation as a song to recent translations in modern languages, Homeric epic remains an abiding source of inspiration for both scholars and artists that transcends temporal and linguistic boundaries. The Cambridge Guide to Homer examines the influence and meaning of Homeric poetry from its earliest form as ancient Greek song to its current status in world literature, presenting the information in a synthetic manner that allows the reader to gain an understanding of the different strands of Homeric studies. The volume is structured around three main themes: Homeric Song and Text; the Homeric World, and Homer in the World. Each section starts with a series of 'macropedia' essays arranged thematically that are accompanied by shorter complementary 'micropedia' articles. The Cambridge Guide to Homer thus traces the many routes taken by Homeric epic in the ancient world and its continuing relevance in different periods and cultures.

Reading Homer’s Odyssey
Reading Homer’s Odyssey

Author: Kostas Myrsiades

Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Published: 2019-04-05

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 1684481368

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Reading Homer's Odyssey is a book by book commentary on the epic's major themes. Each of the epic's 24 books are divided into sections to stress the length and the importance placed on specific topics and episodes. Footnotes are provided throughout to clarify and complete myths that Homer leaves unfinished, to explain certain terms and phrases, and to provide background information whenever necessary. Additionally, there is a bibliography on the Odyssey, as well as bibliographies that accompany each book's commentary.

People and Themes in Homer's Odyssey
People and Themes in Homer's Odyssey

Author: Agathe Thornton

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-01-28

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 1317694635

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Published in 1970, this important work interprets the poem with a focus on the idiosyncrasies of its originally oral composition. In part I, the main themes of the Odyssey such as ‘guest-friendship’ and ‘testing’ are investigated. The incorporation of these and other themes, such as ‘omens’ and the ‘homecomings of the Achaeans’, into the dramatic construction of the whole epic is also examined. In Part II, the main characters of the Odyssey are described: the Suitors, Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope. So too are Theoclymenus and Laertes, whom traditional criticism has maligned or disregarded. The analysis of the characters tries to illumine features which are challenging for the contemporary reader. In the conclusion, the ‘plan’ of the Odyssey is reconstructed. The author argues that it would probably have been performed over the course of three days: two sessions each day, with each recitation maintaining its own artistic unity.

The Odyssey
The Odyssey

Author: Homer

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 0199360316

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Chronicles the exploits and adventures of the warrior Odysseus as he struggles to return home to Ithaca and his beloved wife, Penelope, after the fall of Troy, in a free verse translation from a leading Homeric scholar.

The Odyssey
The Odyssey

Author:

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2014-05-01

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 0199360332

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Sing to me of the resourceful man, O Muse, who wandered far after he had sacked the sacred city of Troy. He saw the cities of many men and he learned their minds. He suffered many pains on the sea in his spirit, seeking to save his life and the homecoming of his companions. Odysseus--soldier, sailor, trickster, and everyman--is one of the most recognizable characters in world literature. His arduous, ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, the subject of Homer's Odyssey, is the most accessible tale to survive from ancient Greece, and its impact is still felt today across many different cultures. This lively free verse translation, from one of today's leading Homeric scholars, preserves the clarity and simplicity of the original while conveying Odysseus' adventures in a modern style. By avoiding the technical formality of earlier translations, and the colloquial and sometimes exaggerated effects of recent attempts, Barry B. Powell's translation deftly captures the most essential truths of this vital text. Due to his thorough familiarity with the world of Homer and Homeric language, Powell's introduction provides rich historical and literary perspectives on the poem. This volume also includes illustrations from classical artwork, detailed maps, explanatory notes, a timeline, and a glossary. Modern and pleasing to the ear while accurately reflecting the meaning of the original, this Odyssey is a superlative translation for twenty-first-century readers.

Homer: Odyssey XIII and XIV
Homer: Odyssey XIII and XIV

Author: Homer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 0521763541

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New edition of the Greek text suitable for upper-level students, with full attention to literary-critical and linguistic matters.

Homer: Odyssey Books XIII and XIV
Homer: Odyssey Books XIII and XIV

Author: Homer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2014-01-09

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1107511720

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The second part of the Odyssey takes epic in new directions, giving significant roles to people of 'lower status' and their way of life: epic notions of the primacy of the aristocrat and the achievements of the Trojan War are submitted to scrutiny. Books XIII and XIV contain some of the subtlest human exchanges in the poem, as Athena and Odysseus spar with each other and Odysseus tests the quiet patience of his swineherd Eumaeus. The principal themes and narrative structures, especially of disguise and recognition, which the second part uses with remarkable economy, are established here. The Introduction also includes a detailed historical account of the Homeric dialect, as well as sections on metre and the text itself. The Commentary on the Greek text pays particular attention to the exposition of unfamiliar linguistic forms and constructions. The literary parts of the Introduction and the Commentary are accessible to all.

Gods and Mortals in Early Greek and Near Eastern Mythology
Gods and Mortals in Early Greek and Near Eastern Mythology

Author: Adrian Kelly

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-05-06

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 1108570240

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This volume centres on one of the most important questions in the study of antiquity – the interaction between Greece and the Ancient Near East, from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic periods. Focusing on the stories that the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean told about the gods and their relationships with humankind, the individual treatments draw together specialists from both fields, creating for the first time a truly interdisciplinary synthesis. Old cases are re-examined, new examples discussed, and the whole range of scholarly opinions, past and present, are analysed, critiqued, and contextualised. While direct textual comparisons still have something to show us, the methodologies advanced here turn their attention to deeper structures and wider dynamics of interaction and influence that respect the cultural autonomy and integrity of all the ancient participants.